Color Coordination for Tile Installations: Nailing the Details in Profiles, Trims, Grouts, and Sealants

Whether we realize it or not, color plays a massive role in people’s lives. It impacts behavior, evokes emotion, and serves as a direct reflection of one’s personality. Plainly put, color matters. 

Knowing this, designers and architects use color and finishes to create a palette unique to every project. They know each choice, no matter how small, adds up to something larger than the sum of those parts. In the end, the colors chosen can truly take a design to the next level. 

There is a lot to consider when building out a color scheme or palette. A large part comes in selecting the right tile, grouts, sealants, profiles, and trims that will not only tie the project together, but also help deliver long lasting results.  

Why Color Matters: Profiles & Trims

We all have strong memories for the colors of our childhood. Whether it was the bright, vivid colors of the 1960s, or the sleek, modern greys that dominated the 2010s, these colors can transport us to a certain time and feeling. Building the palette for a project will have the same effect on the final space. For example, a calming, tranquil environment can be achieved through cool or neutral colors and finishes, whereas awakening or energizing emotions would be found through bolder hues.

Accents such as profiles, trims, grouts and sealants can bring it all together and enhance the overall design by either blending into or accentuating the chosen color scheme. Pairing blue tile with brass trim and white grout can achieve an elegant, classic look. Black profiles and grouts can be coupled with white tile for a modern, minimalist vibe.  

Within a design, profiles and trims are unique in their ability to provide clean lines between contrasting styles and materials, unlocking the ability to create beautiful inlays, accent pieces and transitions. Today’s profiles and trims come in a wide array of modern and traditional finishes and colors, creating the perfect blend of form, function and style to meet nearly any installation challenge.

Grouts, Caulks & Sealants: Color Considerations

Laticrete’s Latisil silicone sealant is designed for large-format panels and slabs. It is available in a wide range of colors, including Smoke Grey. Photo: Laticrete.

Grouts, caulks and sealants work hand in hand with profiles to tell a project’s color story. While tile may be the star of the show, grouts and sealants are the elements that tie the whole thing together.   

Using a complementary or neutral grout or sealant color on installations with larger format tiles or stone slabs can often impart a more “wide open” feeling without calling attention to where these large pieces come together. Conversely, contrasting-colored grout is particularly useful when trying to call attention to specific elements like a herringbone or basketweave tile pattern. Color-coordinated sealants can be incorporated to add flexibility where needed without distracting from the overall design. 

Contrasting-colored grout is particularly useful when trying to call attention to specific elements like a herringbone or basketweave tile pattern. Photo: Laticrete.

To achieve these looks, material manufacturers offer a wide variety of custom colors for grouts and sealants. When ordered from a reputable and trusted brand, this capability offers significant design freedom that does not sacrifice performance.

Installation Considerations

Different locations create unique challenges. Exposure to moisture, harsh chemicals and foot traffic are all items to consider. Each installation product should be evaluated for its different performance characteristics in certain areas. 

Stainless steel profiles may be limited in the number of finishes but offer extreme durability that will last a lifetime. Profiles made of aluminum offer a blend of durability and style, being available in the widest ranges of colors and finishes.

Laticrete now offers a wide array of profiles and trims to meet any design needs. Photo: Laticrete.

Grouts, sealants, and caulks also come in a wide variety of options to meet any installation need. Modern cementitious grouts offer increased durability and stain resistance, and many no longer require sealing. They are available in virtually any color, but one needs to make sure they understand the different properties of each product.  

Epoxy grouts may seem intimidating to some, but they can offer the highest level of durability and stain resistance while taking the guess work out of mixing. Simply combine the separate and pre-measured components per the instructions to achieve results that withstand just about any setting and with the highest level of color retention.

When tying the whole project together, consider the difference between an acrylic caulk and silicone sealant. Both come in a wide range of colors but work better in different areas and applications. Acrylic caulks clean simply with water and work best in areas where they will not be exposed to harsh cleaners, chemicals, or intense UV light. Think of areas such as along wood baseboards, casings, and windows. Silicone sealants also clean up easily with just some soap and water, but provide more flexibility and a higher level of resistance to movement, mold and mildew, and harsh chemicals. Use these high-performing sealants around tubs, sinks, toilets, and inside of shower enclosures.

Do the research before starting, and make sure to select the right product the first time to give the selected colors the best chance to stand the test of time.

The Big Picture 

Profiles, trims, grouts, caulks and sealants are no longer restrained to a limited color selection. Since the wider selection can make it harder to narrow down choices, it can be helpful to take a step back and remember the overall goals for the space.

The smart play for architects and designers seeking to deliver maximum impact– and lasting results – is to ensure that the primary elements of the design remain the focal point. Carefully select profiles, trims, grouts, and sealants as part of an integrated solution for any project. Understand how each specification impacts the other and the overall project. A strategic approach will result in an installation made to last a lifetime.